Interchangeable heel for a shoe



Dec. 8, 1964 c. CLARK 3,159,928

INTERCHANGEABLE HEEL FOR A SHOE Filed Dec. 10, 1963 FIG. I

l3 l9) g. 4 22 )4 l5 4 llllllll FIG- 4 m- VEN CHARLES 414 wk ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,159,928 INTERCHANGEABLE HEEL FOR A SHQE Charles Clark, 325 Union St., Jersey City, NJ.

Filed Dec. 14), 1963, Ser. No. 329,425 Claims. (Cl. 36-36) My invention relates to shoes generally and specifically to a heel for a shoe having a central supporting member secured to the sole of the shoe and an outer member detachably secured thereto.

The heel of a shoe frequently becomes worn long before the sole. The point of greatest wear varies in accordance with the walking characteristics of the user but most freuently invalues portions of the rear peripheral edge of the heel. A badly worn heel is unsightly and can deprive the wearer of proper support. Yet most persons wait until the sole wears through before making repairs which includes removal of the heel and complete replacement.

Therefore, it is among the objects and advantages of my invention to provide a heel for a shoe having an outer member detachably mounted upon a central supporting member.

Another object of my invention is to provide a heel for a shoe in which there is a cap having a cavity eonforming in shape and size to a central supporting member.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide a heel for a shoe in which the central supporting member is provided with an under cut port-ion adapted to cooperatively engage a conforming overlapping portion of the outer member thereby securing the outer member to the supporting member.

Still a further object of my invention is to provide a heel for a shoe in which either or both of the central supporting member and the outer member are fabricated of a resilient material thereby permitting the outer member to manually, detachably snap-fasten to the central support.

Yet a further object of my invention is to provide a heel for a shoe having a detachable cap which appears to be the ordinary heel customarily applied to a shoe.

These objects and advantages as well as other objects and advantages may be achieved by my invention an embodiment of which is illustrated in the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational cross-sectional view of my heel attached to a shoe only a portion of which is shown;

FIGURE 2 is a bottom cross-sectional view of the heel shown in FIGURE 1 taken along line 2-2 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 3 is a view in perspective of a central supporting member;

FIGURE 4 is a View in perspective of a heel cap showing its cavity adapted to receive the central supporting member.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, my heel comprises a central supporting member 11 which is secured to the sole 12 of the shoe 13 in any convenient manner such as by recessed nails, glue, adhesive or any suitable combination thereof. The top cross-sectional configuration of the supporting member 11 may be generally rectangular with the front edge 14 being slightly arcuate. However, the cross-sectional configuration may also approximate the configuration of the rear end of the shoe 13 as in the manner of the commonly employed heel.

The supporting member 11 is provided with anunderout front face 15 extending from the sole 12 of the shoe 13 obliquely downwardly and outwardly toward its front edge 14. The sides 16 and 17 of the supporting member 11 are generally perpendicular to the sole 12 of the shoe and without surface irregularities. While the drawings show the sides 16 and 17 to be flat and generally parallel, they may be vertically flat but horizontallyarcuate, having an opposed converging arcuate top cross-sectional configuration as does the commonly known heel.

The rear of the supporting member 11 is provided with a generally horizontal V-shaped rib 18 the ends of which smoothly merge with the respective sides 16 and 17. The rib 18 defines rear undercut surface 19 which extends obliquely upwardly and outwardly from the sole 12 of the shoe 13 to the apex 20 of the rib 18. A cam surface 21 extends from the apex 20 of the rib 18 obliquely upwardly and inwardly to the rear edge 22 of the supporting member 11. The rib 18 and the undercut surface 19 and cam surface 20 which it defines may be straight, having rounded corners 23, 23 as shown in the drawings or may have an arcuate top crosssectional configuration.

A cap 24 is detachably mounted on the supporting member 11. The cap 24 may have a wide variety of peripheral configurations as do ordinary heels. The cap 24 is provided with a cavity 25 conforming in both shape and dimension to the external surface of the supporting member 11. A bottom 26 on the cap 24 closes the cavity 25. When the cap 24 is applied to the supporting member 11, the top 27 of the cap 24 lies flush with the sole 12 of the shoe 13.

Either or both of the cap 24 and the supporting member 11 are fabricated of some resilent material to facilitate attachment and detachment of the cap 24 to the supporting member 11. The cap .24 is mounted by first inserting the undercut front face 15 of the supporting member 11 into the cavity 25 of the cap 24 until it seats. Then the cam surface 21 is forced into the cavity 25 which either expands the cavity 25 or compresses the supporting member 11 or both depending upon which is more resilient. The rear undercut surface '19 of the mount then passes into the cavity 25 seating the supporting member 11 therein. The front undercut surface 15 and the rear undercut surface 19 retain the cap 24 on the supporting member 11.

The cap 24 can be quickly and easily disengaged from the supporting member 11 by reversing the attachmentv procedure. The rear of the cap 24 is pulled away from the sole 12 of the shoe 13. The rear undercut surface 19 becomes a cam surface 21 either expanding the cavity 25 or compressing the supporting member 11. When the cap 24 is pulled free of the apex 20 of the rib 18, it is moved forwardly to disengage the front undercut surface 15 freeing the cap 24 from the supporting member 11.

The foregoing description is merely intended to illustrate an embodiment of the invention. The component parts have been shown and described. They each may have substitutes which may perform a substantially similar function; such substitutes may be known as proper substitutes for the said components and may have actually been known or invented before the present invention; these substitutes are contemplated as being within the scope of the appended claims, although they are not specifically catalogued herein.

I claim:

1. A heel for a shoe comprising:

(a) a central support secured to .a shoe,

(b) a front face on the central support extending obliquely outwardly and downwardly from the shoe,

(0) a rear undercut surface on the central support extending obliquely outwardly and downwardly from the shoe,

(d) a cam surface on the support intersecting the rear undercut surface extending therefrom obliquely inwardly and downwardly, Y

(e) the rear undercut surface and the cam surface de- (d) a cam surface on the support intersecting the rear.

undercut surface extending therefrom inwardly and obliquely downwardly from the shoe, 7

i (e) the rear undercut surface on the cam surface defining a generally V-shaped external, horizontal rib on the central support opposite the front face,

(f) a cap having a generally central cavity shaped and dimensioned to closely conform to and adapted to receive the central support,

(g) the'cap being detachably secured to the central 7 support.

3. A heel for a shoe comprising (a) a central support secured to shoe sole,

(b) a flat bottom face on the central support opposite the shoe, 7 (c) a front face on the central support between the shoe and the said bottom face extending obliquely outwardly and downwardly,

(d) a rear undercut surface on the central support extending obliquely outwardly and downwardly from the shoe,

(e) a cam surface on the support intersecting the rear undercut surface extending therefrom obliquely inwardly and downwardly,

(f) the rear undercut surface of the cam surface defining a generally V-shaped external, horizontal rib on the central support opposite the front face,

(g) An outer member having a generally central opening shaped and dimensioned to closely conform to and adapted to' receive the central support,

(12) a flat, generally annular bottom face on the outer member lying in the place of the bottom face of the the central support,

(1') The outer member being detachably secured to the central support.

4. A heel for a shoe comprising:

(a) The structure in accordance with claim 1 in which, (12) at least one of the central supports and the outer members being fabricated of a resilient material.

5. A heel for a shoe comprising:

(a) the structure in accordance with claim 2 in which,

(b) atleast one of the'central supports and the cap are fabricated of a resilient material.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,098,346 11/37 MacDonald 3636 2,165,281 7/39 Lippert 36-36 2,802,285 8/57 Griffin 3636 2,837,841 6/58 Twedt 36-36 FOREIGN V PATENTS 932,869 12/47 France.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

35 FRANK J. COHEN, Examiner. 

1. A HEEL FOR A SHOE COMPRISING: (A) A CENTRAL SUPPORT SECURED TO A SHOE, (B) A FRONT FACE ON THE CENTRAL SUPPORT EXTENDING OBLIQUELY OUTWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY FROM THE SHOE, (C) A REAR UNDERCUT SURFACE ON THE CENTRAL SUPPORT EXTENDING OBLIQUELY OUTWARLY AND DOWNWARDLY FROM THE SHOE, (D) A CAM SURFACE ON THE SUPPORT INTERSECTING THE REAR UNDERCUT SURFACE EXTENDING THEREFROM OBLIQUELY INWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY, (E) THE REAR UNDERCUT SURFACE AND THE CAM SURFACE DEFINING A GENERALLY V-SHAPED EXTERNAL, HORIZONTAL RIB ON THE CENTRAL SUPPORT OPPOSITE THE FRONT FACE, (F) AN OUTER MEMBER HAVING A GENERALLY CENTRAL OPENING SHAPED AND DIMENSIONED TO CLOSELY CONFORM TO AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE CENTRAL SUPPORT, (G) THE OUTER MEMBER BEING DETACHABLY SECURED TO THE CENTRAL SUPPORT. 